A massive ship built to install wind turbine blades at Dominion Energy’s offshore wind farm has been delayed in beginning work due to needed vessel work, company officials said Friday.
The Charybdis, a first-of-its-kind installation vessel that arrived at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal in mid-September, will not begin its work until the completion of several punch list items clear it to sail, Robert Blue, Dominion chair, president and CEO, said during an investor call.
“While all major systems are operating well, there are a variety of quality assurance level items that require addressing, and those tasks are currently underway to ensure that the vessel can commence work as quickly as it is safely able to do so,” Blue said.
The 23,000-ton ship took almost five years and $700 million to construct. Blue said he was extremely disappointed the vessel had not met expectations.
“I recognize the importance of executing consistently against any commitment, and we failed to deliver regarding Charybdis,” he added.
However, Blue said the ship is still on track to begin work in November, and the delays should not impact the plan to finish construction by the end of 2026.
Blue said the issues were partly due to Charybdis being the the first Jones-Act-compliant wind turbine installation vessel to be built in the United States. Jones Act compliance means the ship is built, owned, operated and crewed by Americans.
The 176-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and will deliver enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes.
The cost of the project has risen to $11.2 billion from an original price tag of $9.8 billion due to a combination of tariffs, higher electric grid upgrade costs and higher onshore electrical interconnection costs. The latest increase, up from $10.7 million this summer, is due to an accelerated recognition of the impacts of steel tariffs through 2026, Blue said.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/31/charybdis-wind-turbine-work/
